Nia Long on Acting: ‘I’m Here to Represent All Parts of Black Women’
Pop culture icon Nia Long strives to bring genuine Black representation to films.
Nia Long has had a lasting impact on the representation of Black culture in film and television. Throughout her acting career, she has taken on roles that capture Black culture with sincerity to her roots. Now, Long also advocates for the pressing issues of social injustice in America and the film/television industry.
Black actors are encouraged to be obedient when obedience requires you to give away a little piece of your soul. That’s never been me. Never will be me. If your heart is in the right place, don’t let it be you. Pump your fist black people! We have work to do!
— Nia Long (@NiaLong) June 7, 2020
When you show me love and appreciation if fuels my desire to keep pushing forward for us, even when it feels impossible or blocked. My desire as an artist is to represent all parts of who we are as black women. I love you.
— Nia Long (@NiaLong) June 6, 2020
With social media supporting movements such as Black Lives Matter, Female Black Lives Matter, and more, Long has been using her platform to advocate for the current fight against racial injustice. Recently, Long called out beauty brand Glam Squad by speaking on her experience with the brand as anything but diverse, which the brand claimed to be with their posts on their Instagram page.
We want answers @ShecterAmy https://t.co/Q8LdJ9Kq9p
— Nia Long (@NiaLong) June 4, 2020
Long’s first Hollywood role was 1991’s Boyz in the Hood (alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, and Morris Chestnut), a film about social issues in central L.A., including racism, violence, and relationships. Long would continue acting in breakthrough roles in film and television, garnering her the National Associated for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award three times out of seven nominations. Recently, Long appeared alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, and Nicholas Hoult in The Banker, a story of two African-Americans entrepreneurs that hire a white man to be the face of their business as they pose as a janitor and chauffeur. The Banker is now streaming on AppleTV+.
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Fans of Long have dubbed June 6 as “Nia Long Appreciation Day,” and filled Long’s twitter with throwback images of the icon as a symbol of gratitude for her work and her representation of the Black community in the entertainment industry.
I loooooooove you guys so much!!! How on earth did it become my day. My heart is so full. OMG!!! My phone is blowing up!!
— Nia Long (@NiaLong) June 7, 2020
Don’t miss out on Long’s latest project, Fatal Attraction, scheduled to be released on Netflix on July 16.
